


Middle of Nowhere

by gh0stberry



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Multi, chapter specific warnings in chapter notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-01 00:11:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8599339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gh0stberry/pseuds/gh0stberry
Summary: enstars drabble collection cuz idk where else to dump my shortfics





	1. leokasa

**Author's Note:**

> usually i'm not a big fan of drabble collections (for myself) cuz i hate feeling like i'm leaving fics unfinished and i can't rlly "finish" a drabble collection but i have a shit ton of shortfics and idk what to do with them so. here i am
> 
> rating/tags/etc. subject to change as i write cuz idk what im gonna add here in the future
> 
> ships will be listed in chapter titles (when there's more) if u wanna skip around

"This is..." Tsukasa trails off as he lifts the piece of fabric from the floor of the practice room. A hand comes up to run through his hair as he examines the jacket, already sure of who it belongs to but needing the confirmation anyway. The pattern along the seams cinches it; it's Leo's.   
  
He looks around the room, half expecting Leo to jump out and claim it, but that's silly. Everyone, even his eccentric leader, is long gone. Tsukasa should be too, if he hadn't left his sheet music behind. And now that he's back, he's found more than he bargained for.   
  
_ Try it on, _ suggests his brain.  _ Just for a bit. He's not here.  _ The thoughts bring color to his cheeks.   
  
He looks around once the room once more, then at the door. He really is alone...   
  
_ No one will know. _ And the decision is made.   
  
He puts his arms through the sleeves one at a time, pulling the jacket up over his uniform and fiddling with the zipper before deciding to leave it unzipped. Even if they're practically the same size, it's a little big on Tsukasa. He reaches up to adjust the collar, maybe pull it away from his face, but gets distracted when he unthinkingly breathes in.   
  
_ It smells like him... _ The thought makes him turn redder.  _ It's not... bad. _ __   
  
The sound of the door scraping as it's pulled open pulls Tsukasa from his thoughts. He freezes in place, too afraid to look, but forces his head up to meet the eyes of none other than Leo.   
  
Tsukasa's mind screeches to a halt, going totally blank even as his body moves on its own. Before he can register it, he's slipped the jacket from his shoulders and crossed the room, shoving it into Leo's arms and preparing to run away. Leo catches him by the collar of his uniform, though, and drags him back. Tsukasa doesn't want to imagine the face he's making right now.   
  
"Please forget you ever saw this," he manages to squeak. Leo, caught between surprise and some other emotion Tsukasa can't identify, looks like he's trying very hard not to laugh.   
  
Ultimately, he fails. "Ehh, Suo, how am I supposed to do that when you looked so cute?"    
  
Ah.   
  
Tsukasa briefly wonders if spontaneous combustion is, in fact, possible, and if he will live long enough to take credit for proving it, while Leo appears to be debating the merits of flat out running away with himself. On impulse, Tsukasa reaches out to grab hold of Leo's blazer and hold him in place.   
  
"What are you doing?"   
  
"I don't want you to run away from me," Tsukasa blurts out.   
  
_ Congratulations!  _ his brain cheerfully informs him, as if he can't see for himself.  _ Now Leader is just as red as you are! _ __   
  
"...Please forget I said that as well," Tsukasa mutters.   
  
"Okay," Leo agrees relatively quickly this time, after an apparent change of heart.    
  
With nothing else to say between them, they release each other in silent unison. One last look is exchanged; Leo raises his eyebrows, Tsukasa looks down. Then he turns sharply on his heel and all but runs back down the hallway without looking back.    
  
He slows when he leaves the school building and crosses his arms, tucking his hands in between them and his body and trying not to miss the warmth of Leo's jacket around him. It doesn't work, and as he reaches the school gate, he shivers in the cold winter air.   
  
He walks home with Leo's scent lingering on his sleeves and the memory of warmth at the forefront of his mind.   



	2. reikei

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was an experiment i tried like a month ago actually... ty state testing :')

Time feels frozen around him. The only thing Keito feels is the oppressive summer heat, hanging over him like a second skin. Moving at all right now feels more like swimming with the humidity, so he abstains, letting himself slouch on the curb outside the convenience store instead.

His family would surely be embarrassed to see him like this, lazy and slacking because of the heat, but nothing feels important here. The buzz of cicadas drowns out everything else: the occasional car passing by, the even more occasional gust of wind, the whir of the air conditioner attached to the store’s side door. 

The sun burns above him, melting his ice cream faster than he can eat it.

Keito swirls his spoon absentmindedly, watching his scoop of mint ice cream shrink into a puddle at the bottom of his cup. The center is still too frozen to properly stir, so he brings a spoonful to his lips and enjoys the way it melts on his tongue. 

Time seems to move  for a moment when he hears the swish of fabric just behind him, and turns his head slightly to watch Rei lower himself onto the curb beside him, his own cup of ice cream in his hand. As soon as he sits, time seems to freeze up again. The air is once again hot and stifling, the ice cream melts too slowly for the heat. The cicadas buzz endlessly.

Strangely lethargic, Keito lets his head fall sideways until it rests on Rei’s shoulder. Rei makes no move to push him off, only exhaling slightly in unperceived amusement. They exist in a separate plane, at least for now, where nothing means anything. Time will not move until they do, like a roll of film waiting to be spun, and they wouldn’t dare break the illusion that holds them here.

Rei stirs his chocolate ice cream as if urging it to catch up to Keito’s. He exhales again, loud against Keito’s ear. He hears himself exhale, one beat later, as if underwater. Every sound around him is muted now, even the cicadas. The sun no longer seems so hot against his neck, but maybe that’s the ice cream. Or maybe it’s that nothing feels entirely real, not anymore, not in this summery haze. This moment seems to stretch on forever.

Maybe that’s why Keito lifts his head without drawing away, letting their faces hover close despite the heat. Rei brings a scoop of ice cream to his lips; Keito watches him swallow. An eyebrow is raised. A scowl is offered, but not accepted. Instead, Rei brings a hand to Keito’s chin, lifting his head more. Shifting closer. Leaning in.

Their lips slot together like they were born to, Keito thinks, but maybe that’s too cheesy, even for him. Keito is thankful for their complimentary tastes in ice cream, and also realizes that the heat of the sun cannot compare to the heat of another mouth on his.

They separate, and the film of time begins to roll once again.


	3. leokasa

Tsukasa enjoys his days off from knights’ practice, even if they aren’t really days off. He spends most of them in the archery dojo, either trying (and mostly failing) to make bullseyes or playing with Leo’s cats, but they’re relaxing. And Hasumi-senpai lets him snack.

“Suo~,” the voice interrupts his thoughts of peace, pulling his attention away from the empty targets at the end of the range and to the disheveled third year currently sprawled out on the floor.

“Leader…?” He’s a little hesitant to respond, since more often than not, this is how Leo starts off all his weird ideas and he always ends up pulling Tsukasa along with him.

“What’s the date today?”

Well. That’s an awfully… normal question. “November 11th?”

“Oho, I was right~... Suo, that means it’s pocky day!” Leo sits up fast, eyes too focused on Tsukasa, and he suddenly becomes very aware of the box in his hands.

_Perhaps Hasumi-senpai’s laxness with the rules here is a curse after all._

“You’ve heard of the pocky game before, right, Suo?” There’s a gleam in Leo’s eye that’s definitely bad news for Tsukasa’s blood pressure, he knows it. He considers lying for a moment, but he doesn’t need even a half second of contemplation to realize that if he does, Leo will most likely offer to teach him, and that’s even _worse._

“Yes, I know of it… I’m not playing with you,” he adds on, and based on Leo’s expression, he hit the nail on the head.

“You’ll challenge me to a duel onstage for the whole world to see but you won’t accept my challenge of nerves even with no one around?” The corners of Leo’s mouth twitch up into a smile, like he knows he’s won. Tsukasa grimaces because he has.

“Fine.”

In an instant, Leo is scrambling to his knees, scattering the cats around him, who give off plaintive mewls, and coming to a stop with his knees just brushing Tsukasa’s own. In an attempt to avoid the intensity of his gaze, Tsukasa looks down at the pocky box in his hand, gently removing a strawberry stick and holding it up between them.

“Whoever breaks it first loses…”

“...and if we kiss we tie!” Leo finishes, grin wicked and sharp on his face. Tsukasa purses his lips and swallows before gently placing one end on his tongue and leaning forward. Leo leans in to meet him, his own mouth closing over the other end of the stick while he raises his eyebrows at Tsukasa.

It’s surprisingly difficult to keep the pocky level, even if they are practically the same height. Tsukasa is forced to scoot forward more than once, Leo shifting his knees to accommodate him without a sound.

Misfortune strikes once again though when, already practically sitting in Leo’s lap, Tsukasa reaches the middle of the stick. Leo is just behind him, and his eyes widen a fraction of a centimeter when Tsukasa stops, as if the sudden proximity is a new discovery for both of them.

But Leo doesn’t stop to give Tsukasa time to think about things like whether admitting defeat here might be worth it, since there’s no one here to see his shame, or how the archery dojo has been quiet for far too long and, really, where are Fushimi-senpai and Hasumi-senpai, honestly, or anything else; he presses on relentlessly, befitting of his crowd-given nickname, and then Tsukasa’s not really thinking much of anything other than _I AM KISSING MY UNIT LEADER OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD._

The kiss is soft, and much sweeter than he ever could’ve expected. It’s a chaste press of lips on lips, with the faint taste of strawberry exchanged, then Leo is pulling away, something like exhilaration in his eyes, and Tsukasa becomes very aware of his hands, fisted in Leo’s shirt (when did those get there?), and his right leg, situated between Leo’s own, and the heat radiating off his face.

“Oh, we tied,” Leo says matter-of-factly. “Guess we’ll have to go aga–”

“No!” Tsukasa blurts out, unsure of whether he should grab his things and run or try to cover the painfully obvious blush creeping up his neck and across his face. “It’s fine, I concede, Leader, you’ve won.” Using Leo for leverage, Tsukasa pushes himself away and up, stumbling when he reaches his feet before scrambling to the door as gracefully as one can when they’re trying to run away from their problems. Or problem, in this case. If he can call running away from someone he greatly admires because they just stole his first kiss and were probably disappointed by him a problem. No, there's no if there, that's definitely a problem.

As he bolts for the door, he does not see the way Leo looks after him, passing his tongue over his lips once more, a wistful look in his eyes as he commits the taste of artificial strawberry (and Tsukasa) to memory.


	4. leoshukasa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T @ ME THIS WAS THE RESULT OF SOME MIDNIGHT TWITTER CONVOS

“Is standing still a foreign concept to you?” Shu snaps.

Across the room, Tsukasa winces at the sudden rise in volume. With one last pull on his sleeve cuffs, he turns away from the mirror to see a very antsy Tsukinaga Leo and a very irritated Itsuki Shu.

“I know everyone calls you a genius and all, but man, I really don’t see it, Itsuki~. “ Leo turns his head to squint at the boy behind him, hands splayed over the black fabric draped around him. “Your costumes are so elaborate they’re a pain.”

“As are you,” Shu fires back, but there’s more exasperation than ill intent behind his words. Leo, too, is grinning, too cheerful for someone who was just insulted to their face.

_Someone once said that this is how Leader and Itsuki-senpai interacted as second years, as well…_ Tsukasa remembers. If only he could remember who told him. Maybe then he could find a way to steer them from the brewing competition he can see in their eyes.

_These two would perhaps be better off in separate units, with a chance to go head to head,_ Tsukasa thinks. _Ah, but it is quite interesting like this._

“Hm? What are you smiling about over there, Suou?”

“Oh, Suo’s smiling, how rare!” Leo bounces over to him, ignoring Shu’s complaints that he wasn’t done adjusting his jacket, to throw an arm around Tsukasa’s shoulders. Leaning forward to look him in the eye, he asks, “What’s up?”

Tsukasa surreptitiously smoothes his pants with the palms of his hands, trying (and probably failing) to hide the sudden nervousness the words brought.

“Well, I was just thinking about what an interesting unit the three of us made…”

Shu scoffs. “Yes, two insufferable geniuses and the first year caught between them.”

“Hey, I’m not insufferable!” Leo cries, bringing his other arm up to wrap around Tsukasa’s neck.

Before Shu can respond, there’s an intern calling for them outside the dressing room.

“Tsukinaga, get over here and let me fix that shirt. And before you say it, yes, it’s too late to try and get away with wearing your regular performance outfit.”

Lips twisted in a pout, Leo releases Tsukasa and returns to his place in front of Shu. Deft fingers hover over his back and arms, making minuscule adjustments here and there.

Once he’s satisfied, Shu releases Leo, letting him lead the way from the dressing room to the stage, Tsukasa then Shu following behind.

“Are we going to be okay, after all?” Tsukasa murmurs, apparently not quite quiet enough.

“Of course,” Shu responds, unruffled despite the stress he is no doubt under. “Even if the client suddenly requested temporary units, that will not stop us.” He glances down to meet Tsukasa’s eyes. “If you think us geniuses, do not think so little of us.”

Tsukasa feels himself smiling at the backwards encouragement and hurries to catch up to their third member, a confident spring in his step that he hadn’t really felt before.


	5. chiakana + ryuseitai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is part of a larger au where ryuseitai are Actual Heros in some rpg-esque medieval world but i wrote 3 scenes in one sitting and didn't feel like finishing it so whatever it'll go here
> 
> warning for character death

“Chiaki…” Kanata’s voice is barely above a murmur. Chiaki turns, no longer startled to find his lover lurking in the shadows.

“You ready?” he asks with a smile. Adrenaline is already coursing through his veins, just like it always does before a mission, but this time feels different. More important. But he knows Kanata is slower than him to get going. That’s why he’s the one bringing up the rear. Guarding their backs. There’s no one Chiaki would trust more behind him. So when Kanta’s hand snakes out, latching onto his arm and pulling him back into the shadows, he doesn’t hesitate to take a step back into the hug.

Kanata breathes out as his arms wrap around Chiaki from behind.

“Kanata? You okay? Nagumo and the others will be looking for us, you know? We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”

Despite his words, his hands came up to lay over Kanata’s on his stomach. It’s the only thing he can do to reciprocate from this position, really.

“I just wanted to ‘feel’ you,” Kanata murmurs into his shoulder. “Since it will be ‘dangerous’.”

“Yeah,” Chiaki breathes. “I know. But we’re _this_ close. We’re going to save the world, Kanata.” Chiaki knows his voice has taken on that dreamy quality it does when he talks about his goals, but he can’t help it. “Isn’t it great?”

“Mhm,” Kanata agrees, releasing Chiaki from the hug for a moment. “I want to save my ‘world’ too.”

In the next instant, before Chiaki can turn or step away, he feels a burning pain in his back. It lances up his spine like a shriek passed from nerve to nerve, once when the knife goes in, and again when Kanata pulls the knife free.

As soon as the knife is gone, Chiaki wheezes and stumbles forward. He doesn’t even feel the impact as his knees, then his hands, hit the ground. Only the burning pain in his back. No, his chest. Or is it his head? He can’t even tell where the injury is anymore; his nerves are overloaded.

The crunch of someone kneeling beside him in the dirt sounds like it’s happening far away, barely reaching his ears, then a pair of hands are cupping his face and pulling him down. His vision swims and the movement prompts a gasp of pain unbefitting of a hero. When he stops seeing double, he makes out the face above him.

“Kana...ta?” he pants out, chest heaving. He can barely move without wanting to shriek, and his limbs are chilled. He blinks tears out of his eyes.

“Chiaki…” Kanata murmurs, just like he had what feels like ages ago, just before he pulled Chiaki aside for a hug. He brushes sweaty bangs out of his leader’s eyes, watching those brown eyes cycle through emotions. The initial shock has faded, leaving a maelstrom of panic and pain behind.

Chiaki reaches up, catching one of Kanata’s hands in his own, holding it in place on his cheek.

“Why?” is all he manages to croak out, eyes fluttering closed for a moment.

“Don’t you ‘see’? I want to save my ‘world’ too… But Chiaki is a ‘threat’...”

A sigh escapes Chiaki’s lips. Even if he wanted to, he can’t move away now; He’s too weak. A shiver overtakes him. Why does he feel so cold? Especially his back. It feels like a block of ice is being pressed there, mid back, right below where his heart should be. His hands are getting clammier and clammier by the second, and blood roars in his ears. Even when his hand slips to the ground, Kanata merely takes the hand Chiaki had been holding and runs it through Chiaki’s hair.

Chiaki doesn’t know how long they stay like this, the space between his breaths gradually increasing while Kanata sits calmly above him. His vision is swimming without him even moving now, and it’s giving him a headache. Maybe he’ll close his eyes for a moment… he can afford just one minute, right? Soon, Nagumo will no doubt be here, with Takamine and Sengoku. Then he’ll get up. But right now, he’s tired and cold, so he’ll close his eyes for a few moments.

“‘Goodnight’, Chiaki,” Kanata breathes. “I ‘love’ you.”

Chiaki sighs. He doesn’t even have the energy to smile. But he repeats the words to himself as his consciousness ebbs away.

_I love you too, Kanata._

* * *

 

“What… is this?!” Tetora stares ahead, white as a sheet. Midori and Shinobu peer around him, both blanching when they take in the sight on the ground before them. Their leader, curled as if in sleep, in the shadows of a run down building near the edge of the village. They might’ve really believed him to be sleeping, if not for the pool of blood seeping across the ground at their feet.

Midori turns away, looking as if he might be sick, while Tetora kneels beside their leader. With trembling hands, he tries to find a pulse, to no avail. His face is anguished when he meets Shinobu’s eyes.

“Where’s Shinkai-senpai?” Midori chokes out, still staring off to the side. Shinobu and Tetora’s gazes become panicked.

“I’ll go look–”

“Sengoku!”

He turns back to Tetora, already half a step away, ready to bolt no matter what Tetora says.

“... Meet back here in fifteen minutes. Please. We can’t lose you too.”

Shinobu hesitates, then nods and steps forward to give Tetora’s shaking hands a squeeze before disappearing into the shadows.

Tetora lets out a breath and approaches Midori. Wordlessly, Midori opens his arms for him. They remain like that until Shinobu returns, exactly fifteen minutes later. He shakes his head silently. Tetora fists his hands in the front of Midori’s shirt.

“We’ll find them. Whoever did this… killing Taichou and taking Shinkai-senpai hostage… We have to find them.” He looks at Chiaki’s body once again, anger outlining every muscle in his arms and back. “I don’t want it to end like this.” Midori and Shinobu nod in agreement.

“Maybe we should go through with the job,” Midori suggests hesitantly. When the suggestion is met with two confused looks, he shuffles his feet and looks down. “ _They’d_ be the most likely suspects, right…? If they found out about the plan–”

“–They might try to deter us with this,” Tetora finishes, eyes alight with anger. “Sengoku.”

Shinobu makes a noise of agreement. “It’ll be hard with just the three of us.”

“It’s s risk we’ll have to take,” Tetora declares. He takes Shinobu’s hand in one of his, Midori’s in the other. Following his lead, Midori and Shinobu link their free hands.

With a deep breath, and one last look behind him, Tetora squares his shoulder.

“For Taichou?”

Midori nods.

Shinobu smiles faintly. “Lead the way, Tetora-kun.”

* * *

 

“Shinkai-senpai?” Tetora’s voice comes out a choked cry that echoes around the room. Something about the scene in front of him won’t compute: Midori, frozen in horror half a step in front of him. Shinobu, pinned to the floor beneath Kanata, their former senior’s knife hovering above his face.

“What are you doing?” his voice rises, edging on hysterical. “I don’t understand… It’s us. Don’t you recognize us? We’re your _comrades_!” Tetora takes a step forward, leaving Midori behind.

Kanata looks up without moving the knife. He stares sadly at Tetora.

“Tetora doesn’t ‘see’...” He shakes his head.

“What are you saying?”

Kanata merely shakes his head again. “Shinobu is a good ‘boy’. He ‘understands’. Overthinking will only slow you ‘down’, Tetora… Isn’t that what ‘Chiaki’ always said?”

Tetora flinches at the evocation of their former leader’s name.

“Then wh–” He cuts himself off when Kanata’s eyes suddenly widen and the knife sides from his grasp. He slides off Shinobu, and it’s then that Tetora catches a glimpse of the knife in Kanata’s abdomen. _Shinobu’s knife._

Shinobu scrambles away as Tetora lunges forward. He falls to his knees beside Kanata just in time for Kanata to pull the knife out himself and toss it away. It clangs as it hits the marble floor.

Tetora reaches forward, trying to stop the bleeding, but his hands are shaking too hard. Kanata catches one easily. His other hand goes to prod at the wound. He winces slightly, but otherwise Kanata seems unaffected by the injury. As if he doesn’t even feel the pain.

“Shinkai-senpai, please, let me help you,” Tetora begs, tears prickling in his eyes. “It’s a mistake, you didn’t do anything, you need help–”

“Tetora,” Kanata interrupts him gently. “Isn’t this what you ‘wanted’? Vengeance.” His gaze falls behind Tetora, then. Tetora follows his eyes to a horrified Shinobu, still sitting frozen on the floor.

“Don’t be ‘mad’ at him, Tetora,” Kanata whispers with a squeeze of his hand. “It’s ‘better’ this way.” He sighs, getting a faraway look in his eyes. “I want to see ‘Chiaki’ again…”

His death looks nothing like what Tetora imagined death to look like. One minutes he’s staring at the ceiling, shallow breaths distracting from the blood flowing from his stomach. The next, he’s gone, hand slipping from Tetora’s and eyes fluttering closed. His last breath is barely a puff; Tetora doesn’t even realize it’s his last until the next one doesn’t come. Slowly, he tears his eyes away from Kanata’s now lifeless body, staring numbly at Shinobu, who stares back silently. All at once, anger courses through him.

“HOW COULD YOU?!” he screams, lunging for Shinobu, but Midori is faster, catching him around the middle and holding him back, not flinching even as Tetora pounds on his arms.

“Tet-Tetora-kun,” Midori starts. “Weren’t you listening? He-he basically admitted it.” Midori stops, too choked up to continue.

“He’s the one who killed Taichou-dono,” Shinobu snaps, his own anger erupting just as suddenly. The rare display is enough to startle Tetora into freezing. “The sooner you realize it, the better, Tetora-kun. Stop denying it. Shinkai-dono was a traitor.” Shinobu’s voice is high and scratchy, as if he, too, is about to start crying. His shoulders shake.

As his words sink in, Tetora goes limp in Midori’s arms. He doesn’t try to hold his tears back this time.

“Why?” he whispers, tears making tracks down his cheeks. Midori’s arms tighten around him.

Shinobu hangs his head. “I don’t know.”

Slowly, Midori relaxes his grip, allowing Tetora to break from his embrace and approach Shinobu. Shinobu looks up, startled, as Tetora wraps him in a hug.

“I’m sorry,” Tetora murmurs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sor–”

“Shhh,” Shinobu replies, wrapping his arms around Tetora and digging his fingers into the fabric covering his back.

Midori comes over, joining the hug, and the three of them stay like that until Tetora’s tears subside, and then a few moments longer. Finally, Tetora pulls away. He does not look at Kanata again.

“What do we do now?” his voice comes out a whisper. Shinobu and Midori exchange a glance.

“Maybe we should get new jobs…” Midori mumbles.

Tetora huffs and smiles. Shinobu smiles too, a tiny, hesitant smile.

“Sounds good to me.”


	6. ritsuizu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy valentines day

Ritsu was getting up. Really, he was. He'd been awake for some time actually, choosing to remain burrowed in his futon for the warmth, and he was rolling over millimeter by slow millimeter. Honestly.   
  
But apparently not fast enough for Izumi. Ritsu feels a sudden weight on the side facing the ceiling, right over his ribcage. He can tell it's a foot, but it's not that uncomfortable, because, despite a general consensus otherwise, Izumi Sena is not actually mean enough to put all sixty-one kilograms of his own weight directly onto Ritsu's ribcage. Especially not with the Valentine's live tomorrow.   
  
"Kuma-kun," Izumi says, voice bordering on impatient but not quite full blown annoyance yet. "Get up, we have dress rehearsal."   
  
Ritsu fakes a groan, wondering if he can squeeze some semblance of pity from his unit mate. Izumi seems unimpressed. So he mumbles, "Where's Nacchan?"   
  
"Who knows. Some track club thing I think."   
  
"Ou-sama?"   
  
"God knows where. Kasa-kun is out looking for him now."   
  
"So I don't really have to get up right this second. Since it's already established we'll be starting late."   
  
"Maybe you and I have things to do before practice starts, did you think of that? Now, get up."   
  
"What?" Something about Izumi's voice, more strangled sounding than usual, combined with his words gives Ritsu the motivation to turn onto his back and open his eyes all in one go. He squints up at the pink-cheeked third year.  _ Oh? _ "This is the first I've heard of this. What do I have to do?"   
  
Izumi's blush darkens, furthering Ritsu's belief that he's lying through his teeth. To be entirely honest, Ritsu's a bit shocked. Izumi has always been a terrible liar, and he figured the other boy would've given up on trying to lie to his face after almost three years of failure already. "I'll tell you as soon as you get out of bed, so move it."   
  
Ritsu sighs over-dramatically as he rolls out from under the blankets, giving a very real shiver as a draft from the open door makes it up the back of his untucked shirt. He climbs to his feet agonizingly slow, counting a small victory as Izumi begins to tap a foot.   
  
"I'm up," Ritsu points out petulantly, but Izumi has already turned around to rifle through his bag behind him, paying little attention to how much Ritsu does not want to be standing upright right about now.   
  
Ritsu lets his eyes flutter closed for a moment, wondering if he can sleep on his feet without falling over, when he hears Izumi pull something free from his bag and turn around to shove the thing in Ritsu's face.   
  
He opens his eyes again and tries to bring the box into focus. It's a deep crimson, with white lace around two corners holding the lid and bottom section together. It's unmarked, but despite his pathetic grades, Ritsu isn't dumb; he knows exactly what this is.   
  
"Secchan... did you... get me chocolate? Really?" Izumi's cheeks turn a full-blown red.    
  
"Yes," Izumi snaps. Ritsu takes the box as he speaks and delicately removes the lace and lid, eyeing the array of shaped candies inside. "I know it's early, but we'll be busy tomorrow so--" Izumi's voice is cut off as Ritsu places a small white chocolate piece directly on his tongue. His mouth snaps closed and his eyes widen, but Ritsu keeps a finger over his lips to stop the berating words he knows Izumi wants to give him. And the complaints about his diet.   
  
"Chew," Ritsu whispers as he leans in close. He watches carefully, waiting to see Izumi's throat move as he swallows. When he does (while leveling a glare that could melt steel at him), Ritsu removes the finger and leans in to replace it with his mouth.   
  
Izumi keeps his lips pursed for a few moments, making sure Ritsu is aware that he'd pulled a shitty trick, but eventually Ritsu feels him sigh through his nose and Izumi relaxes. He finds the model's tongue as easily as he loops his arms over Izumi's shoulders, and he has to admit, the taste of chocolate in Izumi's mouth is stellar.    
  
When they break apart, Izumi stares at him as if trying to decide whether to shove him away or kiss him again.   
  
"Thanks, Secchan," Ritsu says casually before he can decide. "The chocolate tastes good."    
  
"Eat them yourself next time," Izumi grumbles, but his cheeks are pink and he does not move his hands from where they rest on Ritsu's waist, and it's enough for the second year to know he's not truly mad.   
  
Ritsu lets his head fall forward to rest Izumi's shoulder, and turns his mouth in toward his neck. "Happy Valentine's day, Secchan," he murmurs, placing a tiny kiss at the junction of his neck and jaw.   
  
"Yeah, yeah," mutters Izumi, rubbing circles into his back. "Happy Valentine's day, Kuma-kun."


End file.
